Built Environment as Argument

    Texas A&M University is one of the largest campus in the nation, and with that come different environments and atmospheres.  Depends on what part of campus, and at what time you are walking, will dictate what you feel or the vibe you get.  For example, in my personal experience ever since I've been a fish the minute I set foot on the Quad, also known as the "Quadrangle" to freshmen, I get a sense of heightened senses as if I were on edge always keeping an eye out for whatever may come at me.  Yes this is in part because as a fish you are supposed to do a bunch of corps games, but if you look past that you will realize that the original quad was built as a fortress of sorts.  The building are strategically placed in order to defend the center of the Quad, and there is an entry control point known as the arches.  The old dorms are very rustic building made out of cinder blocks and steel meant to withstand air raids during the WWII era.  Maybe its the corps games, or maybe its the fact that the Quad was built to defend its inhabitants in the case of an attack.

    In complete contrast with the Quad we have the Memorial Student Center.  The MSC is a living memorial for the Aggies who never made it home from war, but unlike many other memorials in the nation which are somber the MSC is very much filled with life.  This building will embrace you the minute you walk in with its openness, and lighting.  It has wide open areas with white tiling and walls which are pure.  It is meant to be a place of relaxation and studying, and it successfully projects that vibe to the student body.  Yet, if you are feeling thoughtful you can always take a stroll to the Hall of Honor where they have a display of the 8 Medal of Honor recipients and a small memorial with the name of all the fallen Aggies and the conflicts they fought.  The thing about the MSC that really gives it that mysterious feel is the grass.  The MSC grass to any Aggie is sacred and is not to be stepped on.  Even the landscape surrounding the MSC adds to the environment surrounding the building.

    These two areas on campus have their share of good views, but the one that takes the cake in my opinion is nowhere near them.  My favorite view on campus, which is where I go on my late night walks, to smoke victory cigars with my roommate, to impress a girl, and any other random event is on top of the Titanic building.  This building is next to Simpson Drill Field and in front of the Academic Building.  There is a hidden staircase on the east side of the building that you can follow to the top, and it will take you to the third tier of the building right below the rooftop ( it can might as well be the rooftop).  You may or may not be allowed up in this area, but it is rarely visited by anyone else, which is why it is my sanctuary.  The view up there is by far the best on campus, especially on a starry night.  You lean on the edge and in front of you, you can see Simpson and across Simpson you can see Kyle Field in all its majesty.  To the left of you, you have the faithful Academic Building who has been standing watch since the early 1900's.  Finally to your right you have the clock tower with its bells breaking the silence through the night.

    Like any cadet, I truly love this campus, but the places that will come to mind in 10 years when I'm off in the wild blue yonder will easily be the Quad, and the Memorial Student Center because these are the places where I have spent most of my time at.  The activities are all Corps related because the Corps has consumed my life for the past 4 years, and because of that the memories that are forever with me include the raising of the flag on the Quad during a Texas sunrise and sunset.  Students from all walks of life walking through the Hall of Honor and taking a moment out of there day to connect with Aggies who they never met.  This campus started as an all military college which through time has evolved into this tier one university.  However, what this campus reminds us every day is of our brave heritage, and the gift of living in this great nation because of the sacrifices we have never failed to endure as Aggies.  The 4 most arguably renown buildings on this campus are military related or some sort of memorial, and that is the message she is trying to get through.  After all, there is a spirit can ne'er be told...

Anti-Smoking Public Service Announcement

  The first video I analyzed for this blog post has been one of my all time favorites when it comes to anti-smoking campaigns.  It is the infamous "You Don't Always Die From Tobacco" video that features two cowboys in what seems to be the middle of Time Square singing a little country tune.  The thing that makes this video so peculiar is that the vocalist for the duo has a hole in his throat due to tobacco.  He sings the whole song with a robotic voice from a machine that is helping him project his voice since his "voice box" was removed.  This man is making an example out of himself by showcasing his own disabilities, and how he can no longer speak without the assistance of a handheld device.  The video doesn't address much about tobacco itself, but the lyrics to the song speak volumes with lines like, "You don't always die from tobacco, sometimes they just snip out your tongue.  You don't always die from tobacco, sometimes you just lose a lung."  Some believe this video went too far since it was staged in the middle of a busy city where everyone was a target since everyone could see them, but I believe it gets the job done.
   The second video I analyzed is called "The Real Cost Commercial:Stay In Control".  This commercial was aired mainly in movie theaters during the trailers, so anyone who went to the movies during those six months saw this video.  The video just explains how smoking cigarettes is pretty much like signing a contract giving your freedom to the tobacco industry since you will get addicted to their products.  This commercial is much less grotesque than the first one because it was aired in several movies where little children may or may not have been present.  And do to the fact that its shock factor isn't as high, I believe that this commercial was not as effective as the first.  They had the same message, but a different way of transmitting it.

One Red Paperclip... and a Real Sad Story

  So after reading the story of the man who traded a red paperclip, and eventually ended up owning a house, I was pumped about my little silver paperclip in hopes that my story would be just as breathtaking as his.  It all started in my organizational communication class where I had my first successful transaction after I traded the silver paperclip for a black hair band from the young lady sitting next to me.  After the fairly easy transaction, I was sure that I was on to something good.  I then traded the hair band for a wooden pencil in my very next class from a girl who needed a hair band, I got bonus points because she thought it was thoughtful of me to carry women's hair bands for damsels in distress.  I then got to my room, and asked my roommate if he had anything he was willing to trade for a wooden pencil.  After a little bit of bartering, it was the first time anyone in this story actually questioned why I was doing this, he decided to help me out by giving me a mechanical pencil.  A slight technological upgrade, but nonetheless my trading was still moving forward to bigger better things.  My final good trade came when I traded an Air Force officer that pencil for an Air Force ROTC pen.  Unfortunately, this is where my story flat lines because I could not manage to trade that blue pen for anything other than more pens that were the same quality or worse.